Trash and recycling crews around Baltimore paused operations due to the intense heat Wednesday.
“Our crews began cooling off early this morning, but due to the extreme temperatures, all collection and solid waste operations for the day have now ended,” the Department of Public Works said around 6 p.m.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in the Inner Harbor topped 90 degrees after 10 a.m. and peaked at 99 degrees around 4 p.m. Temperatures are expected to drop into the mid-80s on Thursday.
DPW said residents who have lost trash or recycling items should call 311 to report it and crews will address the missing trash issue this week. The department has not yet responded to questions about shutdown temperature thresholds or the length of Wednesday's shutdown.
The medical examiner said that on August 2, when the temperature reached 99 degrees, 36-year-old DPW worker Ronald Silver II died from the heat at work. In July, before Silver's death, a city inspector general report said air conditioning at DPW facilities and trucks was broken and workers were not provided with enough water, ice and fans.
